Protagonist
by Muffy Kastel
Summary: There's a life before the story and it's been robbed the minute you hit "Start". -Game-verse, Meta-fic.


**Protagonist **

_There's a life before the story and it's been robbed the minute you hit "Start". Game-verse._

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Pokemon in any shape or form.

Hey all, just some dumb fic idea I've had in my head ever since I was kid after getting into the Pokemon games. After re-reading some other fics along these lines and being in the mood, I decided to write mine out and post it. Of course, nowadays I probably just think these characters are actually talking or just mute but clearly when I was a kid, I had some outlandish ideas that follow me around still.

**Notes**: Green is the boy. Light Namelessshipping, if you wanna view it like that. Also check the end for bonus notes.

* * *

Gen I.

"_A chatty gossip like you…"_

Those are words that no longer apply and Green knows it as he stares his rival down. Red gazes at him stiffly and silently, with crimson eyes that hold nothing.

When was the last time Red had spoken?

He hadn't heard the boy's voice since they got their starters in the lab.

Red had gone utterly silent that day and his bold, lively eyes that Green saw previously had dulled. And the strange thing was, everyone acted like it was normal. People 'talked' and 'conversed' with Red like he was speaking back. But Green heard nothing, not even a whisper escape the boy's lips.

When they battled, Red had also said nothing but his Pokemon carried out their acts dutifully. Green didn't think that was too weird though, as he's heard of trainers having a bond with their Pokemon so strong that they never had speak orders. But what did worry Green was the way Red's eyes looked.

There was no compassion, no heart, and most importantly no soul. Yet everyone said there was. Green wondered what everyone else saw and wishes he could see it too.

He wants to ask about Red's silence. But every time something compels him not too and to carry on as usual with his snide remarks and snickers.

Maybe, this _was_ normal_._

/…\\\

Gen II. (?)

Lyra is scared of the boy that lived near the professor's lab.

She swore up and down his name was Ethan. She lived in the same town as him all her life, played with him constantly and suddenly his name is Gold.

When? How? She cannot recall. Everyone's insisting on it.

And it all started on the day he got his first Pokemon. It's the day she'll never forget because it's a reminder that she lost her best friend. She lost the boy that played with her on evenings, the one that urged her to go into the tall grass for fun and the one she would get scolded with for attempting to do so.

It's also the day he called her Kris.

And the day where he went silent right after calling her that.

She acts like everything's normal, she's essentially forced to do so. Every time she tries to talk about it with her mom or _his _mom, something silences her. It's like the universe is willing her mouth shut and she hates it.

She carries on conversations with him like he responds. Why she does this, she'll never know. Maybe a part of her wants her old friend back, to bring the life back to his sullied eyes. Or maybe the lord Arceus is making her act like everyone else that does the same and cannot question it. Are the others aware of this change too but aren't allowed to voice it? The idea haunts her.

Lyra can only hope that one day his eyes will glow like the sun again. Maybe after enough battles, accomplishments and recognition they will.

/…\\\

Gen III.

Her name is May.

That's what Brenden was told briefly by his father about the girl that was supposed to move in next door. Her father was going to become the gym leader of the nearby Petalburg city apparently, so he was interested in seeing what kind of trainer this girl would turn out to be, if she even decided to become a trainer that is. Contests were becoming very popular in Hoenn too. He wondered if they were a thing in Johto.

On the day she arrives to Littleroot, he meets her, oddly enough standing in his room.

And for some reason his brain registers her as Sapphire. He talks even though she doesn't; he carries on an impossible string of dialogue as if she's responding.

Now Brendan isn't one to question things too much. He was just feeling nervous, that's all. Trying to talk to a girl with a hard stare for the first time is awkward to say the least. Thankfully, she seemed to understand and do what was expected of her.

It's nothing really, he thinks. Everyone's different he supposes and Sapphire is just one of them. Another unique person that lives in this diverse world. She's amazingly talented, going through Hoenn collecting badges, doing contests and filling the Pokedex. She even took down two evil organizations!

Yes, Brendan decides. She may be a little odd but she's a good girl.

Yet a part of him wonders if she was always like this. After all, where did 'May' come from?

What an odd mix-up of names, if he's ever heard of one.

/…\\\

Gen IV.

Lucas surveys the two kids in front of him curiously. Well, they aren't really kids; he isn't much older than him of course. Heck, they could be the same age for all he knew. It didn't take much qualifications to become Professor Rowan's assistant in the age department.

The blond boy, Barry, is excitable and jumpy. Clearly eager to get his first Pokemon and Lucas can already tell he's going to be like those stereotypical hot-headed trainers. Good-natured though, for sure. Barry has this type of flame in his eyes that's filled with passion.

The girl next to him however, does not. Platinum, as she's called, remains ever so silent as the conversation progresses and it unnerves him. But Professor Rowan sees something in her that makes him want to give her a Pokemon. If Lucas were in charge, he'd be hesitant to trust anyone with her look to handle a life.

Something about her stare puts him off and as much as he wants to voice his concerns, something else tells him to go along with it and trust his professor. Rowan always had good judgement.

They send the two kids off on their journey and Lucas pitches in now and again to help Platinum when she's in trouble. Though by the looks of it when their battling Team Galactic, she really doesn't need it. Her Pokemon take care of them easily and she's already proved herself to be a pretty competent trainer. It irks him at how well she does this, almost like she has the experience of an Ace Trainer or a Veteran. Lucas tries to convince himself that she's just a prodigy but nothing feels right about that. He did some digging into her background and found out her mother was the famous coordinator, Johanna.

While that explains her later contest winning streak in Hearthome, it doesn't explain her battling prowess. He also looked into Barry's background and saw his dad was Palmer, the Battle Frontier's Tower Tycoon. Perhaps he taught her in her childhood? But it still doesn't add up, being a part of the Battle Frontier meant constantly traveling and never going home. There was no way, no _time_ for Palmer to teach her.

And when Platinum takes down Team Galactic, it hits him.

He hates her and the plain, dead look on her face.

A girl like that…what secrets is she hiding? Why is she so _good_?

Why is she everything Lucas could not be?

/…\\\

Gen V. (?)

Green is shocked when he sees of all people, Red, standing in front of his gym. He was just going to get some lunch for him and his gym trainers, and the damn minute he opens the door, the former Kanto champion is eyeing him down.

There are whispers all around them, words like _'I can't believe it's Red!'_ and _'what's he doing here?'_ surround them. And for Green, looking into Red's eyes makes him feel like the world has been frozen. The same empty look is on his face, the same look that haunts Green ever since they were eleven. It says something that even after all the battles and accomplishments, Red never did look quite the same as he did when they were young.

It was the same look that Gold kid wore on his face too. Green wondered where he was. Probably replaced Red up on Mt. Silver or something.

And Green can't help but take a mild step back when Red opens his mouth.

"In Unova…" The raven-haired boy stops short of a moment when he hears gasps around them. There's still people watching them and Green irritatingly stomps his foot down to get them to scatter. Red doesn't seem to notice or care as much that they're gone and continues to speak as if Green did nothing.

"…there's a world tournament." He stops for another moment and says rather thoughtfully, "We should go."

And for the first time in years, Green genuinely grins at the boy he long thought of being dead internally.

His eyes have never looked brighter.

.

.

.

FIN.

* * *

Here are some little background development notes:

It took me forever to find the line that Green quotes because when remembering it, I was certain he said it the original R/B/Y but it turns out he said it in FRLG. It's actually the line that sparked this idea in first place which is why it's quoted here.

Does the Gen 2 section _really_ take place in Gen 2? That's why it has the question mark. Oh remakes with your differing female characters, why must you be so difficult?

As you might have guessed, I got inspired by Pokespe a little too much. I like to think of the sudden name switch when the game starts as the sudden input of the player's name. But I don't think that really makes much sense. It was really just there to show the trade-off.

Also it looks like Lucas is vaguely aware he's supposed to be the male player. Someone's jelly that Dawn/Platinum got the protag spot (which honestly, he shouldn't be).

This supposed to be a two-shot. The Gen 5 section at the end would have been in the second part and the original Gen 5 section I had planned would have gone more in line more with what happened in those games. But I couldn't decide between which protag I wanted to use (Both Hilbert and Hilda seemed equally viable for the plot). And after much thought, I realized I would have had to write two different Gen 5's because of the sequel and I'm lazy. Gen 6 and 7 were never planned to be a part of this from the start, purely because they take place in the alternate universe.

Also, I'm not the biggest Lyra fan, but I definitely think I gave her the best final line. Green's final line in Gen 5 is a close second.

Thanks for reading!

-Sailor Rayquaza


End file.
